Bulldozer blade



5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed- April 19 1951 INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 12, 1956 s. E. NAVE BULLDOZER BLADE 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1951 INVENTOR Sherlocld'l Nave.

ATTORNEY June 12, 1956' s. NAVE 2,749,630

BULLDOZER BLADE Filed April 19, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 44 e A 19 J9 T 75 l r INVENTOR United States Patent BULLDOZER BLADE Sherlock E. Nave, Townsend, Mont.

Application April 19, 1951, Serial No. 221,868

2 Claims. (Cl. 37-144) My present invention relates to road scrapers, earth moving machinery and the like. More particularly my invention relates to a scraper blade or earth moving blade mounting adapted for attachment across the front end of a vehicle, such as a tractor.

Heretofore, there have been'arrangernents devised for mounting such blades so as to tilt the blades to various angles and to permit raising and lowering the same to operative and inoperative positions. Most prior blade mountings have not provided for a combination of blade movements, that is, selectively vertically raising and lowering each corner of the blade, for selectively horizontally angling the blade from the left or the right, and for raising and lowering the blade to and from operative and inoperative positions. The few attempts at such substantial universal blade positioning have been mostly manual, that is, the operator must manually manipulate the blade and apply locking pins to hold the blade to adjusted position.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a substantially universal blade movement, which is controllable by fluid power from the drivers seat of the vehicle by one or more simple levers to one or more control valves.

Another object is to provide a blade mounting unit attachable to most any form of automotive vehicle.

Broadly, the unit blade mount comprises a U-shaped pusher frame with a head closed at the front and side bars pivoted to each side of the rear axle of the attached vehicle at the rear, a pair of side arms each of which are slidable on the side bars of the frame and connected to shafts of fluid activated rams supported on the top of each side bar, said arms projecting forward of the frame and being pivotally connected to a blade support plate, which plate is also pivoted centrally to the frame head to permit horizontal angular movement, the front of the plate being centrally pivoted to the blade and connected to each rear side of the blade by fluid rams for vertical angular movement of the blade with respect to the said plate.

In addition the side bars of the pusher frame are connected to rams for raising the front end of the frame with the plate and scraper blade in toto.

The above and further objects and advantages of my invention will more fully appear from the following detailed description thereof, in which one form of unit for practicing the invention is described and illustrated in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Figure 1 is a general perspective view of the front and side of my present invention showing the blade mounting unit connected to the rear axle of a caterpillar type tractor.

Figure 2 is a rear perspective view of the blade, mounting plate, front part of the pusher frame and connections to the plate without showing the tractor.

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the unit without showing the tractor or the frame hoist rams.

Figure 4 is a close up view of the rear of the mounting ice I plate, blade and a section taken through the side arms of the unit on line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a cross section on line 5-5 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a schematic plan view of the fluid circuit for horizontally angling the blade, it being understood that a similar valve and fluid circuit is used for raising and lowering the corners, that is, for vertically angling the blade.

Fig. 7 is a top plan and horizontal sectional view of a fluid flow reversing valve suitably incorporated in the fluid circuit of Fig. 6, the section being in the plane of line 7-7 on Fig. 8.

Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view of the valve as observed in the plane of line 8-8 on Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is a transverse sectional view as observed in the plane of line 9-9 on Fig. 8.

Fig. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a control plunger involved in the valve, the section being in the plane of line 10-10 on Fig. 8.

Similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several figures of the drawings.

Referring in .detail to the drawings and first with reference to Figures 1 and 2, there is illustrated a scraper, bulldozer or earth moving blade 10 mounted upon a slightly smaller carrier or blade supporting plate 11. This plate 11 is secured to the front end or .V-head 12 of a pusher frame A by means of a bracket 13 formed witha bolt connected bifurcated end. The end couples with the said head and the other end of the bracket is formed with a ball socket 14 for seating a ball member 15 on the end of a blade pivot shaft 16 extending through the plate 11 and blade 10, see Figures 3 and 4.

The blade support plate 11 is held fixed against vertical angling movement with respect to frame A and head 12 by connecting adjacent each side edge to side arms 17 and 18 slidable upon the side bars 19 and 20, respectively, of the frame. For example, the rear upper and lower corners of the plate 11 may be formed with pairs of aligned apertured lugs 21 and 22 for connection to similar lugs 23 and 24 carried by each of the upper and lower corners respectively of each side arm by bolts or pins 25. Inside the side arm connections the plate 11 adjacent each end edge, is formed with vertical arcuate or curved slots 26, 27, 28 and 29, 30, 31 with their respective centers of curvature in the direction of the pivot shaft 16, see Figure 4. The slots 26-27 and 29-30 on each side of the plate 11 are limit guide slots and receive headed bolts 32, 33, 34 and 35 carried by the rear surface of the blade 16 and slots 28 and 31 are arranged to receive' headed bolts 35 and 36 also carried by the blade 10 to which are connected the apertured ends of ram shafts 37 and 38, respectively, see Fig. 4. The curved slot 28 is near the top edge of the plate 11 and the slot 31 is near the opposite bottom edge of the plate 11. Pivotally secured by a lug 39 and pin 40 below slot 28 is a ram cylinder 41 for shaft 37, while pivotally secured above slot 31 by a lug 42 and pin 43 is a second ram cylinder 44 reversely directed with respect to cylinder 41 for ram shaft 38 and its connection to bolt 36.

Each ram cylinder 41 and 44 is provided with respective fluid circuit conduit connections 45-46 and 47-48 at bottom and top for alternately supplying fluid to opposite sides of the respective cylinder pistons, by means of a fluid reversing valve such as 50 shown in detail in Figs. 6 to 10 for horizontal angling of the blade. Assuming that the right corner of blade 10 is to be raised the valve will be adjusted in a manner later referred to, to permit high pressure fluid flow through conduit 47 of ram cylinder 44 and conduit 46 of ram cylinder 41 and in order to raise the left corner of the blade the valve will be duit 45 of ram cylinder 41 and conduit 48 of ram cylinder 44. Means are provided for horizontally angling the blade, which comprises a ram cylinder 51 supported on frame bar 19 and a like ram cylinder 52 supported on frame bar 20.

The respective ram cylinders 51 and 52 have a'pertured lugs 53 and 54 respectively on their sealed rear ends anchored to the top of their respective bars by pins 55 and 56, see Figure 3. The piston rod 58 of ram cylinder 51 connects to a ring or bushing 59 by a pin 60 and the piston rod 61 of ram cylinder 52 connects to a similar ring or bushing 62 by a pin 63. These ram cylinders 51 and 52 serve to horizontally angle the blade and the plate 11 by turning the same on the ball and socket arrangement provided by ball of shaft 16 and ball socket 14 of bracket 13 hired to frame head 12.

Referring now in detail to Figs. 6 to 10 and particularly Fig. 6, a complete fluid circuit is shown to the ram cylinders 51 and 52 comprising a master circuit including a pump 71 and connected by the valve 50 to the master circuit are servo fluid circuits hereinafter described. In the master and servo circuits shown are solid arrows to indicate high pressure flow and dotted arrows to indicate low pressure flow.

This pressure flow may be reversed at the will of an operator by manipulation of control lever 65 which imparts movement to a valve plunger 50 which is mounted for axial movement within a valve housing 50 which is surmounted by a block 50 having a pair of laterally spaced elongated chambers 50 and a side port 50 opening through the block into each chamber. The housing 50 is provided with a cylindrical bore 50 in which the plunger is slidably mounted and the housing is provided with a pair of vertical ports 50 in communication with each of said chambers 50 and the bore 50. The housing is further provided with a pair of ports 50 in each side wall thereof, which communicates with the bore 50 and whose axes are in the planes of the axes of ports 50 but at right angles thereto.

A pump 71 has its inlet side in connection with an oil tank 72 and the outlet side thereof is connected by a conduit 79 to the port 50 opening into one of the chambers 50 which is at all times separate from the other chamber, and a conduit 80 extends from the other chamber 50 to the tank 72.

A conduit 75 extends from a port 50 on one side of the valve housing to one end of ram cylinder 52 and a second conduit 76 extends from the other port 50 on the same side of the valve housing to the other end of ram cylinder 52. The first end of said ram cylinder 52 is connected with the opposite end of the ram cylinder 51 by a conduit 75 and the other end of cylinder 52 is connected by a conduit 75 to the opposite end of ram cylinder 51, the conduits crossing each other between the cylinders 51 and 52 as indicated in Fig. 6. The p'orts' 50 on the opposite side of the valve housing being connected to opposite ends of cylinder 51 by conduits 77 and 78.

The plunger 50 is constructed to selectively place a pair of axially aligned ports 50 in communication with a corresponding pair of ports 50 all of which ports have their axes in the same plane.

For this purpose the plunger is provided with diametrically opposed voids 50 which when in the position of Fig. 8 place the ports SO of one diametrical pair thereof in communication with the corresponding pair of ports 50 which latter ports communicate with the separate chambers 50 The plunger is further provided with an arcuate port 50 which when aligned with the ports of either pair of ports 50 places the oil in circuit through the tank only; In the position of Fig; 8 port 50* is closed by the wall of bore 50 The plunger 50 is restrained to axial movement only by means of a pin 50 extending through the housing as well as a slot 50 in the plunger.

With the valve 50 in the adjusted position of Fig. 8 for the fluid flow in Fig. 6', fluid under pressure will enter one of the chambers 50 through the conduit 79 and will flow through the corresponding void 50 in the plunger 50 and thence through the conduit which enters one end of cylinder 52 at one side of the piston therein, and which piston will accordingly be urged to the left. The fluid under pressure will also flow through conduit 75 which enters the opposite end of cylinder 51gvith a resulting movement of the piston therein to the rig t During the above movement of the pistons in opposite directions in the cylinders 52 and 51, the displaced fluid to the left of the piston in cylinder 52 will flow through conduit 75 which enters the right hand end of cylinder 51 and which fluid will with that in said right hand end of cylinder 51 flow through conduit 78 which communicates with the opposite void 50 and from which the fluid will flow through conduit 80 which extends to the tank 72. Upon movement of plunger 50 to the right of its position in Fig. 8 fluid will flow to the opposite ends of cylinder 51 and 52 through conduits 76, 75 and the displaced fluid will return to the valve through conduit 77.

The structure will of course include a valve similar to that disclosed in Figs. 7 to 10 for operation of the ram cylinders 41 and 44 through movement of the lever 66, the valve being disclosed as a suitable form for control of the several cylinders without any claim of moving in the specific structure thereof per se.

A third lever 82 is shown in Figure 1 and this actuates a third similar fluid circuit for controlling the side hoist rains 83 and 84, which are conventional in such machines and serve to hoist the blade 10, plate 11 and frame head 12 in toto',

Thus I have provided a substantially universal movement for earth moving blades, scrapers and the like controllable selectively entirely from the drivers seat.

Without further description it is thought that the invention and its advantages are clear and understandable to others in this an, and while only one embodiment is illustrated, it is to be expressly understood the same is not limited thereto, as various changes may be made in the construction, combination and arrangement of the parts as Will now appear to those skilled in the art. For a definition of the scope or limits of the invention, reference should be'had to the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A tractor having an earth moving blade, a U-shaped head pivoted to the rear axle of the tractor, said head curving around the front of the tractor, a plate slightly smaller than the earth moving blade, said plate having a central pivot connection with the center of said blade, curved slots formed through said plate adjacent each end of the blade, securing means in alignment with said slots and extending therefrom through the slots to the rear of the said plate, a first and second ram cylinder secured to' the plate adjacent each end thereof in reversed position with respect to each other, a projecting reciprocating ram shaft connected to a piston in each ram' cylinder, the reciprocating ram shaft of the first ram cylinder connecting with a blade fixed bolt means extending through a plate slot adjacent the top edge of the plate and blade and the ram shaft of the second ram cylinder connecting with a blade fixed bolt means extending through a plate sl'o't' adjacent the diagonally opposite bottom edge of the plate and blade, fluid conduits connecting with each end of each ram cylinder, valve means connected to said fluid conduits for selectively reversing the direction of fluid flow to opposite ends of said ram cylinders, a pump and a reservoir each connected through said valve and fluid conduits to' said ram cylindcrswhereby flow of fluid at high pressure to the rams in one direction from the pressure side of said pump reversely actuates the respective r'a'm shafts and pivots the earth moving blade vertically on said plate pivot connection to raise the left corner" of the blade and lower the right corner, and whereby upon reverse movement of the value means flow of fluid to the rams in the opposite direction oppositely reverses said respective ram shafts and pivots the said blade on said plate pivot connection to raise the right corner of the blade and lower the left corner, said plate being fixed to said U-shaped head, said head including a pair of parallel spaced pusher frame bars pivoted to the rear axle of the tractor on each side of the tractor, and a fluid actuated ram connected to each bar to raise and lower the frame, plate and blade in toto.

2. A tractor having an earth moving blade, a U-shaped head pivoted to the rear axle of the tractor, said head curving around the front of the tractor, a plate slightly smaller than the earth moving blade, said plate having a central pivot connection with the center of said blade, curved slots formed through said plate adjacent each end of the blade, securing bolts in alignment with said slots and extending therefrom through the slots to the rear of the said plate, a first and a second ram cylinder secured to the plate adjacent each end thereof in reversed position with respect to each other, the reciprocating ram shaft of the first ram cylinder connecting with a blade fixed bolt means extending through a plate slot adjacent the top edge of the plate and blade and the ram shaft of the second ram cylinder connecting with a blade fixed bolt means extending through a plate slot adjacent the diagonally opposite bottom edge of the plate and blade, fluid conduits connecting with each ram cylinder, valve means for selectively reversing the direction of fluid flow to opposite ends of said ram cylinders, a pump and a reservoir each connected through said valve and fluid conduits to said ram cylinders whereby flow of fluid at high pressure to the rams in one direction from the pressure side of said pump reversely actuates the respective ram shafts and pivots the earth moving blade vertically on said plate pivot connection to raise the left corner of the blade and lower the right corner, and whereby upon reverse movement of the valve means flow of fluid to the rams in the opposite direction oppositely reverses said respective ram shafts and pivots the said blade on said plate pivot connection to raise the right corner of the blade and lower the left corner, said plate being fixed to the U-shaped head, said head including a pair of parallel spaced pusher frame bars pivoted to the rear axle of the tractor on each side of the tractor, an arm having a bushing slidably mounted on each of said respective bars, the free end of each arm being connected to the rear of the said plate adjacent the right and left vertical edges of the plate respectively, a ball joint between the central rear side of the said plate and the apex of said U-head of the frame, a ram having a shaft connected to said bushings of each arm and a fluid cylinder mounted on the top surface of each bar of the pusher frame, fluid conduits connected to each end of the ram cylinder, and means for selectively actuating said ram, to thereby pivot the said plate and blade horizontally on said frame head pivot to transversely angle the said blade.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,967,379 Stewart July 24, 1934 1,977,817 Bird Oct. 23, 1934 2,075,482 Thorpe Mar. 30, 1937 2,160,595 Le Bleu May 30, 1939 2,160,596 Le Bleu May 30, 1939 2,224,725 Felt Dec. 10, 1940 2,347,290 Shaeft'er Apr. 25, 1944 2,452,408 Washbond Oct. 26, 1948 2,483,033 Baker Sept. 27, 1949 2,503,929 Washbond Apr. 11, 1950 2,533,833 Mott Dec. 12, 1950 2,543,989 Rockwell Mar. 6, 1951 2,565,337 Allan Aug. 21, 1951 2,687,586 Dickinson Aug. 31, 1954 

